Posted: Friday, November 3, 2006 6:00 pm
The real attraction to the season-defining game that will be played out between Nebraska and Missouri today is that neither the Huskers nor the Tigers are so good that you’d feel safe risking much on the outcome.
I can imagine this morning’s “happy couple” breakfast-time conversation going something like this:
“Hey, hon. I was thinking — how about you do the dishes and laundry, clean around the house and take the kids to their activities all next week if the Huskers don’t win?”
“OK, darlin’. As long as you’re willing to caulk around the windows, rake the leaves, mow the yard and put down the winterizer if Missouri doesn’t.”
The smartest play, of course, would be to invoke Parent Rule No. 1 (“Because I said so!”), add to the kids’ chore list and then enjoy the contest with no strings attached.
Bash mediocrity all you want. For my money, there might not be a better tonic for creating intrigue.
I can offer that I believe 7-2 Missouri has more playmakers (the kind Bill Callahan said will show up more in a contest like today’s) than 6-3 NU, and a quarterback who will lead them to a Big 12 Conference championship game sometime in his career.
But I’m also aware that the Tigers never bring a championship attitude to Lincoln (1978 was the last time they left town with a win). What’s more, last week, when they had an opportunity to prove they’re ready for a change, they bungled things again and got humbled at home by an Oklahoma team that will never be confused as one of Bob Stoops’ most talented.
“They played good enough to win,” was all coach Gary Pinkel could manage of the Sooners after watching his team drop a sure touchdown pass, have a punt blocked for a safety, commit a personal-foul roughing-the-punter penalty that led to a touchdown and fail to score from first-and-goal at the OU 2-yard line. “We’re good enough, but you can’t make the mistakes we made.”
If the Tigers had only played bad, they might have had a chance. But they were a couple of notches worse than that.
“I don’t know if it’s the worst, but those self-inflicted errors really cost us the game,” senior strong safety David Overstreet said.
At least Mizzou can take comfort knowing Nebraska had similar issues. The Huskers handled their prosperity at Oklahoma State last week like they’d never been accustomed to leading anybody 16-0.
Granted, the Cowboys are on the rise with a band of explosive ball handlers. But in giving up 41 of the game’s next 48 points, Nebraska created reasonable doubt if it was an imposter. Which team will take the field today: The one that unraveled in Stillwater, or the one that controlled its first two Big 12 Conference road games against outmanned opponents, then outplayed a more-talented Texas team before losing on a bad break?
As much as you want to believe last week was the aberration, it’s hard to ignore inconsistent defensive play. Kansas snapped the ball a whopping 94 times — 29 more than the Huskers. Texas’ offense was on the field for 21 more plays. And Oklahoma State’s average gain was 8.0 yards.
Now, it looks like the Blackshirts may play today without the unit’s soul, middle linebacker Corey McKeon, and weakside player Steve Octavien, who two weeks ago shook off an injury-plagued season to make 10 stops against Texas.
Neither practiced this week, and despite Callahan’s spin that it was good they were able to get mentally prepared by attending workouts, the fact is they’re still hurting and no magical potion will change that.
Additionally, No. 2 middle backer Lance Brandenburgh is handicapped because he’s playing with a cast that’s protecting a fractured arm.
Add it up and you can see Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel, who excels at finding receivers in the linebackers’ zone, having a big game today.
As horrid as Missouri played last week, Daniel still accounted for 359 total yards. And his 284 yards through the air came against an Oklahoma secondary that regularly had adequate coverage and attempted breakups. In contrast, Nebraska seems happy tackling receivers instead of making plays on the ball. That’s trouble.
Then again, as Callahan lectured Tuesday: Each week is different. Each team is different.
Oklahoma beat Mizzou with a forceful defense and serviceable offense. Nebraska will have to do it in flip-flop manner.
A game plan that should be obvious to both teams will have the Huskers hammering I-back Brandon Jackson so often at the Tigers’ leaky front seven that they have to add support and risk giving Zac Taylor easy downfield throws.
Defensively, since Missouri has a limited ground attack, it’ll be up to Daniel to make some pretty plays. And he will, but the motivation will still be to make him feel by the fourth quarter that he’s the Tigers’ only option.
Of course, Missouri would have effective counters. But then that would be what really good teams pull off.
In this case, neither will play that elusive pot-of-gold game, because, well, these are college kids with blemishes.
What will happen instead today is both teams will buckle, and the one that best pounces on those situations will leave the other its biggest critic. Isn’t that how the Huskers and Tigers explained last week’s losses?
And yet, they need not apologize for their imperfections, for there’s something intoxicating about reaching the first Saturday of November with most goals still in hand — with your season about to be judged a success or not.
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.